Senior Officer for Public Opinion

The Foundation is happy to announce an opening for the position of Senior Officer for Public Opinion Insights. This position provides strategic leadership and management of a Foundation signature effort to better understand how Coloradans think about health and what shapes their values, perceptions and opinions about policy issues. The Foundation and its partners in the advocacy community will leverage this understanding to more persuasively communicate and build support for policies that improve health equity in Colorado.

This position is responsible for development, execution and iteration of a long-term strategy for public opinion research that produces actionable insights for effective policy advocacy. The position provides leadership and guidance for this effort, including development and management of an influence, training and learning agenda based on research outcomes. The Senior Officer for Public Opinion Insights works in partnership with Foundation leadership and the policy and communications departments to position the Foundation as a leader in the advocacy field both in Colorado and nationally.

At the Foundation, we believe that keeping equity at the heart of our work will lead us to better health. That starts from within, including intentional application of diversity, equity, and inclusion practices that guide how we operate and work in communities across Colorado. For example, our cornerstones are designed to help ensure that:

• We serve Coloradans who have less power, privilege and income, and prioritize Coloradans of color.
• We do everything with the intent of creating health equity.
• We are informed by the community and those we exist to serve. 

Candidates will have a personal commitment and connection with our mission and cornerstones; work well in ambiguity and managing change; and proactively identify opportunities to advance our mission while remaining grounded in the day-to-day responsibilities. They will need to be able to apply principles of health equity and racial justice across all of their work, as well as integrate concepts of strategy formation and refinement, systems thinking, complexity, adaptive/emergent strategy, worldviews and power. 

Ideal candidates will:

• Prioritize and manage a qualitative public opinion research agenda so that CHF and its partners gain greater insight into what shapes Coloradans’ values, beliefs and opinions about health
• Design and execute a training and learning agenda for internal stakeholders so that CHF leverages the insights gained from qualitative public opinion research to produce more persuasive advocacy communications
• Develop an engagement strategy with advocacy organizations that supports the use of insights and messaging guidance developed from public opinion research

• Strengthen the Foundation’s capacity to communicate effectively, influence public policy and advance health equity as a senior member of the communications and policy teams

• Demonstrate strategic expertise in thinking, acting and influencing in service of health equity
• Select, manage and oversee contractors and consultants

• Ensure legal compliance

A Bachelor’s Degree that would prepare you to do the work of community change, centering health equity. Eight year’s professional experience working in commissioning and managing qualitative and quantitative public opinion research projects, coalition and stakeholder management, advocacy communications strategy, and project management. Preference will be given to applicants with extensive experience in developing organizations’ ability to apply the results of public opinion research to building and executing a strategy for advocacy communications.   

It’s an exciting time to join the Foundation whose assets include a complex investment portfolio valued at approximately $2.6 billion and whose annual grant making is in excess of $100 million. Additional benefits are a robust benefit and wellness package, 401(k) match, and generous paid leave programs. The starting range for this position is $102,500 – $120,400 paid as salaried, exempt and is eligible for all CHF benefits.  This is a full-time position in Denver, Colorado with the exception of required travel. We work on a hybrid schedule of three days in-office (required) and two days remote.  The Foundation has a mandatory COVID-19 vaccine policy in place for all staff. This is an extraordinary opportunity for an individual to have a meaningful impact through their professional contributions. Interested candidates may submit their resumes and cover letters on the Colorado Health Foundation’s website https://coloradohealth.org/. 

This position closes on July 3, 2023

The Colorado Health Foundation is an Equal Opportunity Employer and invites qualified candidates from all backgrounds to apply.